1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to seat assemblies and more specifically to a lawn and garden seat assembly which includes an internal fuel tank.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical small vehicles, such as lawn and garden tractors, include fuel tanks which are positioned within the main vehicle structure or body. The tank is accordingly mounted at about the same level or lower than the engine. For engines not equipped with fuel pumps, only the weight of the fuel in the tank and gravity are available to force the fuel to the carburetor. When the vehicle is operating on an incline, the fuel supply may not always be constant.
Further, the tank inlet is often mounted low and can be difficult to use, sometimes resulting in damage occurring to the vehicle body as the tank is filled.
As an alternative, some tanks are mounted at a higher position on the vehicle, but that may provide appearance problems. There have been proposed fuel tanks located within the seat structure for use on small vehicles. Such a structure can provide the head of fuel for a non-fuel pump equipped engines, and make it easier to fill the tank.
One such fuel tank contained within a seat is constructed from two pieces of fiberglass cemented together at their seam. Such seats would appear to require higher fabrication and assembly costs and present potential leakage problems at the seam as the seat flexes during operation. Additionally, failure of such a seam could require that the complete seat be replaced to prevent such leakage.